Research forms the fundamental basis for my decision making and allows the evaluation and improvement to health care. I focus on improving patient care by evaluating clinical decisions and results of surgery and translational research (taking science from bench to bedside)

The four main areas of clinical research that I undertake are systematic reviews and meta-analyses, clinical trials, diagnostic and cohort studies. My translational science research focuses on blood based biomarkers for the diagnosis of cancer and for treatment predictions with circulating tumour cells and circulating free tumour DNA.

Educating medical students

I am a Reader in Thoracic Surgery at Imperial College London where I offered a Specialty Choice Module for final year medical students at Imperial College Medical School entitled “Revision, practical skills and evidence based medicine for aspiring doctors”. In this three week attachment, I went through how to answer examination questions in systematic manner, students are given opportunities to learn basic practical skills and through weekly teaching I illustrate how and why evidence based practice is important to the future practice of doctors.

Training junior surgeons

I train at core training and specialist training levels in thoracic surgery. During an attachment at the Royal Brompton Hospital, junior surgeons can be expected to learn about surgical decision making, operative approaches and evidence based medicine. As my work is almost totally thoracoscopic single port, higher surgical training attachments are best suited for trainees with an interest in single port surgery. Higher surgical trainees will be expected to have highly efficient and compassionate patient care, be able to work and orientate themselves (and me) with a variable view camera, and to be perfectly comfortable with the use of endoscopic staplers. Expertise in video games is highly desirable.

"I can recognise within 5 seconds of you placing the camera in the chest if and how much video games you have played in the past"

Research training

Based on my background in medical statistics and clinical trials I often supervise and formally teach research methods. I am proud to say that the research work undertaken by medical students and junior surgeons have gone on to national and international presentations, prizes and first authored manuscripts.